Car unloader



0w 2 1 L J. oss 1,732,537 I. cm UNLOADER Filed March 19, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Lu u LRrH Y Km v L. J. ROBB CAR UNLOADER Oct. 22, 1929.

File M r h 19. 1926 4 Sheets-Shed 2 a}. m sli alt r L. J. ROBE CAR UNLOADER Filed March 19, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet A. kr' i i IQ, mp:

MfPM

Oct. 22,1929. L. J. ROBB 1,732,537

can UNLOAIDER Filed March 19, JBZG 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Patented (Beta 22,

UNIT

LEW'IS J. ROBB, OF PITTSBURGIEI, PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR TO HEYL 61; PATTERSON, INCL, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNS'YIFLQIIIA, i i-M GURPUICEATION OF E'ENNSYLVANIA OAR 'UNLUADER Application filed March 19, 1926.

This invention relates to car unloaders and particularly to unloaders of the type wherein the car being handled is rocked or tilted to cause a shifting and free discharge of the material therein. The invention is particularly useful for the handling of hopper bottom cars but it will be understood that the invention is not-limited to such use.

Car unloaders of the tilting type all comprise a tilting frame to which the car is secured. for the tilting operation and this frame has customarily been placed in such manner that the cars are run onto one end and off the other end of the frame. I have found that a material simplification of the apparatus may be secured if the tilting frame is placed at the end of a dead end track and further, that such arrangement permits of a number of new uses for unloaders of this character, it being particularly useful in connection with coal tipples and the like.

Instead of the various complicated means now employed for holding the car in place on the frame I am enabled to use a means which is permanently positioned above the track on the tilting frame and adapted. to engage the coupler of a car on the track. Preferably, this means is provided with a sprin buffer and is movable along the tilting; frame so as to spot the car on the frame, as desired. Generally, it will be preferred to center the car on the frame and I, therefore, provide a receiver for the discharged. material, which receiver is substantially symmetrically arranged about the pivot of the frame. I also provide skirts attached to the tilting frame, which skirts form continuations of the side walls of such receiver and reduce or entirely eliminate the spilling of coaler other material during discharge thereof from the car.

It is customary in car unloaders to provide support-s or dogs at the ends of the tilting frame to positively support such ends while a car is being shifted thereon, these dogs being moved out of the way to permit tilting; of the car when desired. 1 preferably so calculate the strength of the tilting frame that it bears upon these dogs so long as the load on the frame is above a predetermined Serial No. 95,889.

maximum and prevents such dogs from be in o; wi thdrewn. This insures that the tilting motor and mechauisnii will not be overloaded.

Car unloaders. generaly constructed have a cradle-like portion provided with rollers upon which the tilting frame rocks or rolls during the tilting operation. I have found that it is far more satisfactory to use a journallcd supporting shaft, especially with the arrangement of a receiver beneath the frame which is adapted to receive material discharged between the tracks on the frame. This arrangement also permits of using a reinforcing means for the stationary fran'ie in which the tilting frame is supported, such. reinibrcen'ient being above the receiver and immediately below the tilting frame.

I further provide a safety means for the motor which is employed in shifting the car buffer in spotting the car on the tilting frame. This apparatus is provided with limit switches but provision is made whereby a sprin is compressed if the limit switch fails to act as quickly as it should.

The car unloader is preferably placed at the end of a track which is slightly inclined to the horizontal and the frame is similarly inclined in normal position. This permits of releasing a car from the buffer and removing it from the unloader by gravity as it tends to run down the incline and can be readily handled without the application of motive power.

In the accompanying" drawings which i1- lustrate the present preferred embodiment of my invention,

Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section through the unloader,

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line IIIIII of Figure 1,

Figure f is a top plan view of the tilting apparatus and one set ofsupporting dogs for the tilting frame shown in Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the other set of supporting dogs,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Figure 5, and

Figure 7 is a top plan view, partly broken away, and showing more or less diagrammatically the coupler jaw and spring buffer.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention there is shown a railroad track 2 terminating at 3 and leading to a tilting frame 4 which is provided with rails 5 forming a continuation of the track 2. The frame 4 is pivoted on shaft portions 6 and normally occupies the position shown in Figure 1. In thisposition the rails 5 are inclined to the horizontal in the same amount as the rails 2.

lVhen the frame is in the normal position of Figure 1 it is supported under either end by dogs 7 and 8 which engage bearing plates 9 on the frame 4. The dogs 7 and 8 are pivotalmounted on shafts 10 and 11, respectively, and when there is no load on the tilting frame there is a limited amount ofclearance be- ,tween the dogs and the bearing plates 9 as indicated at 12.

' With the frame4 in'the position' shown, a

,car v13. n r 1ay be run onto the tracks 5 and con- .n ected,to a coupler 14 which engages the couvpler15 of a car. The coupler 14 ismounted for longitudinal movement in a frame 16 and ,a springbuifer 17 is placed in theframebe- :hindthe coupler for. absorbing the shock when the car strikesthe coupler.

The frame 16 isslidable longitudinally of :theframe 4 in guides 18 and the longitudinal movement is secured by a screw shaft 19 carried by bearings 20 and 21 on the tilting frame 4 and engaged by a nut 22 on the :frame 16. Thescrewshaft19 is provided with a gear 23 vengaginga pinion 24 onthe shaft of a motor .25. When acar is secured to the coupler 14 it may be .moved for several feet on .tlie tilting frame 4by operatingthe motor 25.

' The motor 25 is provided with limit -s wit-ches for determiningthe maximumtravel of the frame lti but it sometimes happens that the.swit ch would notoperate in-time and I,

therefore, provide a safety means which proventsinjury to the mechanism. This safety ,rneans comprises a spring 26 which is 1nounted on the screw shaft 19 between .the bearing 2-1 and-the gear 23. If themotor continues to run after the frame 16 has reached the end of itstravel the spring 26 will be flexed and the shaft 1 9 will move lengthwise in its bearings while the teeth of the gear 23 will slide lengthwise the teeth of the pinion 24.

When a fully loaded car is placed on the ,unloader, the tilting frame 4 will bedefleoted and the bearing plates 9 will firmly engage the dogs 7 and 8 and will thus prevent their withdrawal. However, after the hopper doors of the car'havebeen opened and certain amountof material has been removed I from thecar, the deflection of the beams constituting the tilting frame will become less and it will then be possible to move the dogs 7 and 8 out of engagement to permit tilting of'the frame. This arrangement constitutes meshing with a gear 37.

an arm 28 connected to the piston rod 29 of a double-acting fluid cylinder 30. Similarly, the shaft 11 is connected through a lever arm 31 to the piston rod of a double-acting fluid cylinder 32. By properly controlling the supply of actuating fluid to these cylinders, the dogs 7 may be moved back to the dotted line position of Figure 1, while the dogs 8 may be moved back into the recesses 33 provided in the foundation to accommodate them.

Vith the dogs 7 and 8 moved back, the frame 4 may be tilted to cause a flow of the material remaining in the car 13 and a consequent discharge thereof. The tilting mechanism comprises a motor 34 connected to a pinion 35 througha speed reducer 36 and The gear 37 is mountedon a shaft 38 which shaft carries a pinion 39 meshing with a rack bar 40. The rack bar is pivotally connected at its upper end to the tilting frame 4 and is arricd in suitable guides 41 to insure proper meshing with the pinion 35.

The means by which the rack bar .40 is connected to the tilting frame 4 constitutes a frame 42 having a block 43 slidably mounted therein and carrying a cross pin 44 connected to the rack bar 40. Springs 45 are carried by the frame 42 and are placed above and helow the block 43. This arrangement ma terially reduces the shock load on the tilting mechanism.

The motor 34 is of the reversing type and is controlled in any desired manner. The tilting of the frame 4 is limited by blocks 4?, which cooperate with the face plates 9 to form stops.

The discharged material flows from the car through openings 47 to either side of the tracks 5 and through openings 48 between such tracks to a receiver 49. This receiver is placed below the tilting frame and is substantially symmetrically disposed with reference to the shaft 6 about. which the frame is rotated. The receiver discharges into a reciprocating feeder 50 operated by a motor 51 and the feeder, in turn, supplies material to a belt conveyor 52 by which it is taken to any desired point.

The tilting frame 4 is provided with skirts 53 which cooperate with the sides of the receiver 49 and form extensions of the side walls thereof. Those are particularly valuable in preventing spilling of the (lischarged material. It will be noted that they are substantially portions of a cylinder are connected by a reinforcing member 56 which extends across the apparatus above the receiver 49 and immediately below the tilting frame 4. This member materially 5 strengthens the entire apparatus and also lessens the space which would otherwise be required for providing a stationary frame of suiiicient strength and stiffness.

A control house 57 is secured to one side of 0 the apparatus as shown, and in this control house there is prov ded a valve 58 for controlling the fluid cylinders 30 and 32 and a controller 59 for the motor 34%. There is also provided a valve 60 which controls a fluid 5 cylinder 61 mounted on the frame 16. This cylinder actuates the coupling pin 62 in the coupler 14. By suitably manipulating the valve 60 the operator can hold the car on the tilting frame as desired, or when the car is 0 empty he can uncouple the car and permit it to travel off the frame by gravity. This remote control for the coupling means rep resents a material saving in time.

I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention but it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the form shown since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a car unloader, a track, a tilting frame at the end thereof adapted to tilt a car, and a track on the frame forming a continuation of the first-mentioned track, coupling.

means permanently positioned above the track on the frame adapted to engage the coupler of a car on the track, and means for shifting the coupling means longitudinally f the frame.

0 2. In a car unloader, a tilting frame having a track thereon, and coupling means per manently positioned above said track and adapted to engage the coupler of a car on the track.

5 8. In a car unloader, a tilting frame having a track thereon, coupling means permanently positioned above said track adapted to engage the coupler of a car on the track, and means for shifting the coupling means 9 longitudinally.

4. In a car unloader, a track, a movable buffer, and coupling means thereon adapted to engage the coupler of a car on the track.

5. In a car unloader, a buffer frame, coupling means carried by the buffer frame and adapted to engage the coupler of a car on the track, a control station and means operable from the control station for actuating the q coupling means.

6. In a car unloader, a movable buffer frame, coupling means thereon adapted to engage the coupler of a car on the unloader, a control station, means operable from the control station for moving the buffer frame,

and means operable from the control station for actuating the coupling means.

7. In a car unloader, a track, a buffer frame permanently positioned above the track, means for moving the buffenframe longitudinally of the track and control means remote from the buffer frame for controlling its movement.

8. In a car unloader, a movable buffer adapted to engage a car coupler and being provided with a coupling aw, power means for moving the same and a slidable driving connection between the buffer and the power means.

9. I11 a car unloader, a motor, a relatively movable buffer adapted to engage a car coupler and a driving connection between the motor and the buffer for moving the same, said driving connection comprising at least two members relatively movable with respect to one another after the buffer has reached the end of its travel.

10. In a car unloader, a tilting frame, and a support for the frame adapted to prevent tilting thereof, but movable to permit such tilting, the frame being adapted to prevent such movement of the support when a load beyond a predetermined value is placed on the frame.

11. In a car unloader, a tilting frame, a pivot support substantially centrally located on the frame and an end support adapted to prevent tilting of the frame but movable to permit such tilting, the frame being adapted to prevent such movement of the support when a load beyond a predetermined value is placed on the frame.

12. In a car unloader, a stationary frame, a tilting frame pivotally mounted thereon, a receiver beneath the tilting frame and a reinforcing member extending across the structure below the tilting frame and above the receiver.

13. In a car unloader, a pair of spaced stationary frame members, a tilting frame pivotally mounted on such stationary frame members, and lying between them, a receiver lying between the stationary frame members and beneath the tilting frame and a rein forcing member extending between the stationary frame members, said reinforcing members lying below the tilting frame and above the recelver.

14. In an unloader for bottom dump cars, a tilting frame, a receiver adapted to handle materiaLdischarged from a car on the frame, and skirts movable with the frame and adapted to form substantially continuous wall extensions for the receiver regardless of the posit-ion of the frame. 7

15. In a car unloader, a frame tiltable about an axis, a receiver adapted to handle material discharged from a car on the frame and skirts movable with the frame and adapted to form substantially continuous wall extensions for the receiver, such skirts being substantially portlons of a cylinder whose axis as the {1X15 of tilting of the frame.

16. In a car nnloacler a tilting frame, a support adapted to prevent tilting of the frame-but movable to a position to permit such tilting, a bearing plate on the frame adapted to cooperate with the support to prevent the tilting of the frame, and a stop cooperating with the bearing plate to limit the tilting movement of the frame. I

17. In a car unloader, a tilting frame, power means for tilting the frame, an arm operatively connecting the power means with the frameyand spring means interposed between the arm and the tilting frame.

18. In a car u-nloadera tilting frame, power means, a connection between the power means and the tilting frame, and a spring buffer interposed in the connecting means.

19. In an unloader for bottom clamp cars, a track, a tilting frame at the end thereof, a track on the, frame forming a continuation of the first mentioned traclg the tilting frame being arranged to permit discharge of material from a bottom dump car therethrough means for raisingfirst one end and then'the other end of the tilting frame above its normal position, and means permanently posi tioned above the track on the frame and adapted to engage the coupler of a car on the track. A V. v.

LEWIS J. ROBB. 

